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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28569708">this is a song about somebody else</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollyhobbit101/pseuds/hollyhobbit101'>hollyhobbit101</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bad Things Happen Bingo [13]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bad Things Happen Bingo, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt TK Strand, M/M, Marjan is a good friend, Team as Family, Verbal Abuse, alex is an ass, but carlos and the team can handle it</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:03:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,280</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28569708</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollyhobbit101/pseuds/hollyhobbit101</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>TK doesn't notice the 126's latest visitor until it's too late. He freezes as Alex smiles at him, knocked off balance by this sudden intrusion of his old life into his new one. </p><p>or</p><p>alex vists tk at the 126. luckily, tk has his family to help him through it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Marjan Marwani &amp; TK Strand</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bad Things Happen Bingo [13]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1691701</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>478</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>9-1-1 Tales, Bad Things Happen Bingo</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>this is a song about somebody else</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hello gang between bojo's announcement, the new trailer, and my abysmal sleep schedule, i think i genuinely lost my mind last night. i also wrote half of this last night in a lone star fever so uh. enjoy.</p><p>written for bad things happen bingo prompt - verbal abuse - &amp; no. 6 from <a href="https://morganaspendragonss.tumblr.com/post/190041789523/100-whump-dialogue-prompts">this list</a> ("You were always too soft, never could stand up for yourself.")</p><p>prompted by anon and the-great-pumpkin-04 on tumblr.</p><p>title from looking too closely by fink</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Today is </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>going how TK had hoped.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The whole week has pretty much been a bust and TK had only barely managed to drag himself out of bed for his shift this morning. He’s spent the past half hour wiping down the same spot on top of the rig, debating the pros and cons of just taking a nap up here.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, he’s so deep in his debate that he doesn’t notice the station’s visitor until Mateo is yelling his name. He snaps out of his thoughts and cranes his neck to see what’s going on, only to freeze when he spots the person standing just behind and to the left of Mateo.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alex smiles and winks up at him and TK’s mouth goes dry. He wants nothing more than to stay up here, far away from Alex, but there’s a frown beginning to appear on Mateo’s face and he can feel the others’ eyes on him. So he pulls himself back together and climbs down to the ground, swallowing nervously as he approaches the bay doors.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You good?” Mateo asks quietly when TK reaches them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>TK forces a smile. “Yeah, totally.” Then, when Mateo doesn’t move, “Listen, Probie, can you give us a minute?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mateo startles. “Oh! Yeah, sure.” He walks off, though, TK notices, not without a backward glance at the two of them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once TK is certain everyone else is out of earshot, he turns back to Alex. “What the hell are you doing here?” he demands. His hands bunch into fists at his sides, the act more a nervous movement than any anger on his part - though he’s plenty angry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alex shrugs, nonchalant. “You disappeared, TK,” he says. “Is it so bad that I wanted to check up on you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was over a year ago,” TK points out. “Besides, I didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>disappear</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Loads of people knew where I went.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not me, though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>TK doesn’t answer; he doesn’t need to. He can’t understand why Alex is surprised - he lost any rights he had to TK’s life the second he started cheating.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alex sighs. “Look, I’m not here to get back together -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then why are you here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alex scowls at being interrupted. “I told you. I wanted to check on you. I thought you might be dead after… Well, you know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>TK can’t help but laugh bitterly at that, causing Alex’s frown to deepen. “Well, is it so unreasonable? Come on, TK, we both know how you are.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that. That hurts. “How dare you?” TK hisses. “After what you did -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know about your overdose, TK,” Alex says, cutting TK off. “And when I heard that Owen was moving to Texas - what was I supposed to think? Finding an obituary when I looked you up would have been less surprising than realising you’d come here with him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>TK feels like he’s been punched in the face. It’s not that this stuff even gets to him that much anymore, but the sight of Alex has thrown him off balance and he doesn’t have a clue how to respond.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is there a problem here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marjan’s voice cuts through their staring contest, drawing the attention of both men. TK is equal parts relieved and horrified to see her; the last thing he wants is to draw his new family into his old life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Marjan -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re just talking,” Alex says, smooth as ever.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marjan levels him with one of her stares, disapproval radiating off every inch of her. “Not what I asked, buddy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alex breathes a quick, disbelieving laugh, looking over at TK. But TK just folds his arms and doesn’t say anything, minutely aware of the attention they’re beginning to attract.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s what I thought,” Marjan says. “I think it’s time you left.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alex shakes his head. “No. No, I don’t think so. I’m here for TK.” He turns his gaze to TK, raising a questioning eyebrow, but TK still stays silent, barely even able to meet Alex’s eyes anymore. It’s the wrong move, though. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I should have known,” Alex scoffs. “</span>
  <span>You were always too soft, never could stand up for yourself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marjan’s expression morphs into fury at that, but TK puts a calming hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay,” he says. “He got what he wanted.” He levels a hard stare at Alex. “He’s leaving.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not waiting for a reply, he and Marjan turn to walk away, but they don’t get far before Alex lunges forward, grabbing onto TK. And, before TK can do anything, Marjan reacts, sending Alex staggering backward with a hand to his right cheek. TK gapes between them, the station exploding with noise around them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t ask me to apologise for that,” Marjan says when his gaze lands on her. TK shakes his head; he wasn’t about to, he’s more worried for any repercussions this could have for her. He sees his dad approaching, his face hardening when he sees their latest visitor, and goes to meet him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dad, this wasn’t Marjan’s fault, she was defending me -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” Owen says, placing a hand on TK’s arm. “Let me handle this, son.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>TK nods, Owen sending him a quick smile before heading over to the commotion at the doors. He breathes out shakily, then walks to the shower room, needing to get away from it all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’s white-knuckling it on the counter, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet to keep himself grounded. </span>
  <span>It hurt more than TK was expecting, seeing </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> again. It was the shock more than anything, and the chaos that had come with Marjan punching him. Not that that wasn’t more satisfying than TK wants to admit. But the things he had said… That’s a special kind of pain, horribly sharp and all too familiar. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alex was never violent, but he had a mean streak that often came out near the tail end of their relationship. TK was never an innocent either; he would give as good as he got, or he’d go the opposite route and pull out some grand gesture, some desperate attempt to cling onto something that was already long dead. It had worked, right up until the point where it hadn’t.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>TK doesn’t know how to deal with this anymore. He’s moved on from Alex, any feelings he’d ever had for him gone forever. He has no desire to go back to his old life, but he would be lying if he said this hadn’t affected him, though certainly not as much as it would have even six months ago.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A knock on the bathroom door pulls him out of his thoughts and he turns to see Carlos standing there, smiling softly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing here?” TK asks, turning and hiding his still-shaking hands behind his back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Your shift’s up,” Carlos explains. TK closes his eyes and grimaces; he’d forgotten that Carlos was picking him up for date night tonight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shit, sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” he says. “Your team told me what happened. Remind me never to piss Marjan off.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>TK laughs despite himself, amazed at how quickly Carlos can cheer him up. “You knew that already,” he points out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“True.” Carlos laughs too, and things start to feel okay again. He comes closer and holds his hands out. “Can I?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>TK hesitates, but nods, placing his hands into Carlos’s own. Carlos steps so they’re mere centimetres away, pressing their foreheads together. Neither of them speak. TK closes his eyes and soaks in the moment, breathing out slowly as his racing heart calms. A smile creeps onto his face and his body relaxes completely under his boyfriend’s touch, and TK knows that as long as he’s with Carlos, he can handle anything.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thanks for reading! i am accepting prompts on tumblr @morganaspendragonss - come say hi!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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